Detail & Scale’s Color & Markings first series was launched in 1984 with Volume 1 focusing on the Convair’s F-106 Delta Dart. Authored by Bert Kinzey and published by Tab Books [ISBN-13 978-0816845255], the first volume was largely in black and white with 16 pages of color. Forty years later, this new publication, Colors & Markings of the F-106 Delta Dart, significantly revises and expands the original coverage of the “Ultimate Interceptor” and the “World’s Fastest Single-Engine Jet Aircraft”. Authored and illustrated byColonel Richard S. “Rock” Roszak, Volume of 8 of the new series of Colors & Markings is all in color and double the size:64 pages vs. 128 pages. This English edition was released on November 14, 2024, and is available in soft square bound format [8.5” x 11.0”] or in digital format. The ISBN-13 is 979- 8-344014579. The print edition is a Print-On-Demand format with glossy cardstock front and back covers.The interior pages are on standard weight paper with high quality color laser printed photographs and illustrations with no noticeable smearing or bleeding. The binding did not break or separate when folded for scanning, so color me impressed.

Bert Kinzey graduated from Virginia Tech in 1968 with a degree in Business Administration. Upon graduation, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U. S. Army and was sent to the Army’s Air Defense School at Fort Bliss, Texas. During his eight years as an officer, Bert commanded a Hawk guided missile battery just south of the DMZ in Korea. Later he originated, wrote, and taught classes on the air threat, military air power, and air defense suppression at Fort Bliss. Bert was dissatisfied with the existing manuals and other materials available for his classes because they were inaccurate and incomplete. As a result, he wrote his own reference books and other publications. Although he intended for these to be used only in his classes, they were soon placed on the Army’s official publication list and distributed throughout the military. Bert has also flown with active, reserve, and National Guard squadrons on training missions to observe the conduct and procedures of air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. While he was working for the Department of Defense, Bert started Detail & Scale, a part-time business to produce a new series of books on military aircraft. Later Bert added aircraft carriers to the Detail & Scale Series, and he also began a second series called Colors & Markings. In June 2004, health issues caused Bert to have to retire from his work. In 2013, Bert teamed up with Rock Roszak to begin producing the books again, but the new ones are now greatly expanded digital publications that are available in both the Apple iBooks and Amazon Kindle formats.

Colonel Richard S. “Rock” Roszakis the son of immigrants who came to America from a war-ravaged Europe. He grew up in Staunton, Virginia and graduated from VPI in 1971 as a member of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. He was commissioned into the United States Air Force where he amassed over 2,000 flying hours, mostly in B-52D/F/G and C-135 aircraft, over a 27-year active-duty career. An avid modeler in his younger years, he has been a digital artist for over 13 years and has illustrated several books in partnership with Bert Kinzey. Besides being the vice president of Detail & Scale, Rock also creates all the artwork in the digital volumes and handles the electronic publishing end of the business. Rock currently lives in Blacksburg, Virginia, with his wife, Patty, two daughters, and six grandchildren.

This edition is dedicated to Captain Cliff Cole who flew the F-106 while assigned to the 27^th FIS based at Loring AFB, Maine. Originally organized as the 21^st Aero Squadron on June 15, 1917, they were re-designated the 27^th Aero Squadron on June 23, 1917, and has operated continuously since then. The 27^th FIS “Falcons” is currently flying the F-22 Raptor out of Langley-Eustice, Virginia. The front cover shows off a color photograph of F-106A, s/n 57-2480, while visiting Kelly AFB [San Antonio, TX] on August 13, 1977. She was assigned to the 84^th FIS based at Castle AFB, California. The rear cover has three color photographs. The top photograph is of Convair F-106A Delta Dart, s/n 58-0788 of the “Tom Cats”, 319^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. The center photograph is a Montana Air National Guard F-106A, s/n 58-0788, serving with the 186^th FIS. They were the first Air National Guard unit to transition to the Delta Dart. The bottom photograph is a F-106B, s/n 57-2509, during July 1990. She was one of six Delta Darts to participate in the Rockwell B-1B testing program as a chase aircraft. I counted 315 color photographs. And zero black and white photographs. Rock Roszak provides five aircraft color side profiles, 13 color vertical tail illustrations, and 29 color squadron badge illustrations. Rock Roszak also provides color illustrations for Markings Specifications. Additional Information and safety Markings, Higher Echelon Headquarters Adopted Markings [See Page 011], and a color three-view of the proposed South East Asia [SEA] camouflage scheme.

Rock Roszak kicks off the first section of ten pages with an Introduction, followed by Paint Schemes and General Markings.The next section goes into details of the 21 active squadrons with the Air Defense Command and later the Air Defense Tactical Air Command. The six Air National Guard squadrons are covered next, followed by miscellaneous users.A good example of the color photographs and illustrations for the Fighter Interceptor Squadrons are show on pages 21, page 83, and page 100. Rock Roszak’s color side profile illustration on Page 021, depicting Convair F-106A, s/n 59-0062, serving with the 84^th FIS. 59-0062 was sent to AMARC on July 9, 1987, before being converted to a drone in 1991. She survived until finally shot down on November 12, 1993. The top color photograph of F-106A, 59-0056, shows off the early markings of the Black Panthers. F-106A, s/n 59-0130, is shown in a color photograph at the bottom of the page showing off the ADC emblem in place of the Black Panther emblem on the opposite side of the vertical tail fin. She was sent to AMARC in April 1985 before being converted to a QF-106A in 1991. She survived long enough to be taken out of the drone program and modified for NASA’s Eclipse Tow Launch Demonstration Project. This program investigated the practicality of towing a F-106A behind a NC-141A Starlifter in flight. After six towed Eclipse flights, she was returned to AMARC on May12, 1998. She remains there hoping some organization will be able to pick her up and put her on display.

Rock Roszak’s color illustration of the vertical stabilizer on the upper right of Page 083 shows off the early large vertical fin emblem of the 48^th FIS. The color photograph on the bottom of the page shows 48^th FIS pilots at Osan Air Base, South Korea, scrambling to Delta Darts of the 318^th FIS. The 318^th FIS was the first unit to deploy to the Pueblo crisis. When the 318^th FIS’ six-month tour was over, they returned to the States and the 48^th crews took over utilizing the 318^th FIS Delta Darts. The New Jersey Air National Guard [119^th FIS] is yet another squadron with history going back to WWI. The color photograph at the bottom of Page 100 shows the initial squadron markings on F-106A, s/n 59-0065, with the “Jersey Devils” at the top of the vertical tail fin. 59-0065 was sent to Gila Bend Bombing Range, AZ, on November 18, 2003, where she was destroyed as a target. The next squadron markings iteration is shown at the top of the page where four Delta Darts are escorting a Boeing B-52. The New Jersey National Guard was the last fighter squadron to fly to F-106A Delta Dart. Their last bird flew off to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) on August 1, 1988.

NASA was actually the longest operational user of the Delta Dart where they wore the NF-106B designation. NASA’s first F-106B, s/n 57-2507, was received in April 1958 before any operational units received their Delta Darts and she can be seen at the top of Page 123 with the civilian code N607NA. She was transferred to NASA Langley in May, 1981, where she was cut in half length wise in 1984 for use in the full scale wind tunnel testing. NASA operated a second Delta Dart and it is shown at the bottom of the page at Tinker AFB, OK, on April 5, 1981. She was converted from a standard F-106B into a research bird and received by NASA Lewis Research Center in October 1966 for initial studies into Boeing’s proposed supersonic transport proposal. This bird, NF-106B s/n 57-2516, carried the civil registration of N816NA and was retired on May 17, 1991. She is now on display, hanging from the ceiling of the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton, VA.

The sections include:

• Dedication
• Introduction
• Delta Dart Paint Schemes & General Markings
• F-106 Aircraft Markings Specification [Table 1]
• Additional Information and Safety Markings [Illustration]
• Delta Dart Squadron Markings
• Higher Echelon Headquarters Adopted Markings [Illustration] [Page 011]
• Air Defense Command (ADC) / Air Defense Tactical Air Command (ADTAC) F-106 Squadrons
  • 539^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
  • 498^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron “Geiger Tigers”
  • 84^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron “Black Panthers” [Page 021]
  • 95^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron “Mr. Bones”
  • 456^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
  • 437^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
  • 460^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
  • 27^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron “Falcons”
  • 83^rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron
  • 319^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron “Tom Cats”
  • 5^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron “Spittin’ Kittens”
  • 318^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron “Green Dragons”
  • 94^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron “Hat In The Ring”
  • 2^nd Fighter Interceptor Squadron “Horney Horses”
  • 438^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
  • 49^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron “Green Knights”
  • 11^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
  • 87^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
  • 87^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron William Tell Nose Art
  • 329^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
  • 48^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron [Page 083]
  • 71^st Fighter Interceptor Squadron “Flying Fists”
• Air National Guard F-106 Squadrons
  • 186^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron Montana Air National Guard
  • 101^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron Massachusetts Air National Guard
  • 119^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron New Jersey Air National Guard [Page 100]
  • “Dart Out” – June 11, 1988
  • 171^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron Michigan Air National Guard
  • 194^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron California Air National Guard
  • 159^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron Florida Air National Guard
• Miscellaneous Users
  • Tyndall AFB Units
  • F-106 Test Aircraft
  • Air Logistics Centers
  • NASA [Page 123]
  • B-1 Chase Aircraft
  • QF-106 Drone Program

This is a worthy follow-up to the original Colors & Markings edition that was issued in 1984. The addition of 64 pages and a lot more color photographs really makes this new edition worth it. If you are planning on building a Convair F-106 Delta Dart, this is an essential book.

My thanks to Detail & Scale Aviation Publications and IPMS/USA for the chance to review this great book.

Highly recommended!